Development of an Experiment for Investigating the Magnetohydrodynamic Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability

The magnetohydrodynamic Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (MHD RMI) is being investigated by the Fluid Mixing Shock Tube Laboratory (FMSTL) at the University of Missouri through implementation of experimental methods and simulation techniques. Hydrodynamic instabilities (HI) such as the RMI are prevalent in high energy density systems where fluid mixing, driven by HIs, ultimately results in energy yield reduction and equilibrium consequences. The implementation of magnetic fields is being explored as an option to suppress the development of HIs thus preventing undesirable effects from arising. To do so, a conducting fluid (e.g. plasma) is generated by an atmospheric pressure plasma torch and resulting effects are studied whilst an external magnetic field is imposed onto the plasma flow field. The work presented here will outline the efforts made at the FMSTL to experimentally study the RMI in MHD as well as predictive ideal MHD simulation results. Preliminary experimental results as well as those achieved by simulations show that suppression of the MHD RMI is achievable.